Food chopper

Abstract

A food chopper having a handle, a first side cutting blade, a second side cutting blade and a central cutting blade. The first side cutting blade is attached to the handle. The second side cutting blade is attached to the handle in a spaced-apart relationship with respect to the first side cutting blade. The central cutting blade is operably attached to the handle intermediate the first side cutting blade and the second side cutting blade for movement between an extended configuration and a retracted configuration. The central cutting blade is biased to the extended configuration. At least one of the first side cutting blade and the second side cutting blade is curved.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of chopping food comprising:
 providing a food chopper comprising a handle, a first side cutting blade, a second side cutting blade, a central cutting blade and a biasing mechanism, wherein the first side cutting blade is mounted in a stationary position with respect to the handle, wherein the first side cutting blade has a distal edge with a first end and a second end that is opposite the first end, wherein the second side cutting blade is mounted in a stationary position with respect to the handle in a spaced-apart relationship with respect to the first side cutting blade, wherein the second side cutting blade has a distal edge with a first end and a second end that is opposite the first end, wherein the central cutting blade is operably attached to the handle intermediate the first side cutting blade and the second side cutting blade, wherein a distal edge of the central cutting blade has a first end and a second end that is opposite the first end, wherein the first side cutting blade is curved so that a distance between the first end of the first side cutting blade and first end of the central cutting blade is smaller than a distance between the first side cutting blade and the central cutting blade intermediate the first and second ends thereof and that a distance between the second end of the first side cutting blade and second end of the central cutting blade is smaller than a distance between the first side cutting blade and the central cutting blade intermediate the first and second ends thereof, wherein the central cutting blade is linearly slidably movable between a retracted configuration and an extended configuration and wherein the biasing mechanism biases the central cutting blade to the extended configuration; 
 placing an object that is to be cut on a surface; 
 placing the central cutting blade in contact with the at least one of the object and the surface; and 
 urging the handle towards the surface to cause the first side cutting blade and the second side cutting blade to contact the surface and cut the object into pieces. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the distal edge of the second side cutting blade is curved so that:
 a distance between the first end of the second side cutting blade and the first end of the central cutting blade is smaller than a distance between the second side cutting blade and the central cutting blade intermediate the first and second ends thereof; and 
 a distance between the second end of the second side cutting blade and the second end of the central cutting blade is smaller than a distance between the second side cutting blade and the central cutting blade intermediate the first and second ends thereof. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first side cutting blade and the second side cutting blade each have a distal edge that is opposite the handle, wherein at least one of the first side cutting blade and the second side cutting blade is curved in a direction that extends from the distal edge to the handle. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein distal edge of at least one of the first side cutting blade and the second side cutting blade is convex and wherein at least a portion of the distal edge substantially conforms to the surface. 
     
     
       5. The method  claim 1 , wherein the food chopper further comprises a shaft that substantially encloses the biasing mechanism, wherein the shaft extends from the handle. 
     
     
       6. A food chopper comprising:
 a handle; 
 a first side cutting blade mounted in a stationary position with respect to the handle, wherein a distal edge of the first side cutting blade has a first end and a second end that is opposite the first end; 
 a second side cutting blade mounted in a stationary position with respect to the handle in a spaced-apart relationship with respect to the first side cutting blade, wherein a distal edge of the second side cutting blade has a first end and a second end that is opposite the first end; 
 a central cutting blade operably attached to the handle intermediate the first side cutting blade and the second side cutting blade for linearly slidable movement between an extended configuration and a retracted configuration, wherein a distal edge of the central cutting blade has a first end and a second end that is opposite the first end, and wherein the distal edge of the first side cutting blade is curved so that:
 a distance between the first end of the first side cutting blade and the first end of the central cutting blade is smaller than a distance between the first side cutting blade and the central cutting blade intermediate the first and second ends thereof; and 
 a distance between the second end of the first side cutting blade and the second end of the central cutting blade is smaller than a distance between the first side cutting blade and the central cutting blade intermediate the first and second ends thereof; and 
 
 a biasing mechanism that biases the central cutting blade to the extended configuration. 
 
     
     
       7. The food chopper of  claim 1 , wherein when the central cutting blade is in the retracted configuration, the distal edge of the central cutting blade is substantially aligned with the distal edges of the first side cutting blade and the second side cutting blade and wherein when the central cutting blade is in the extended configuration, the distal edge of the central cutting blade is further away from the handle than the distal edges of the first side cutting blade and the second side cutting blade. 
     
     
       8. The food chopper of  claim 1 , wherein the distal edge of the second side cutting blade is curved so that:
 a distance between the first end of the second side cutting blade and the first end of the central cutting blade is smaller than a distance between the second side cutting blade and the central cutting blade intermediate the first end and the second end; and 
 a distance between the second end of the second side cutting blade and the second end of the central cutting blade is smaller than a distance between the second side cutting blade and the central cutting blade intermediate the first and second ends thereof. 
 
     
     
       9. The food chopper of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first side cutting blade and the second side cutting blade is curved in a direction that extends from the distal edge to the handle. 
     
     
       10. The food chopper of  claim 1 , wherein the curved distal edge of at least one of the first side cutting blade and the second side cutting blade is convex. 
     
     
       11. The food chopper of  claim 1 , wherein the first side cutting blade and the second side cutting blade each have at least one aperture formed therein. 
     
     
       12. The food chopper of  claim 1 , wherein proximate the distal edges thereof, the first side cutting blade and the second side cutting blade each have a plurality of ridges extending from at least one surface thereof. 
     
     
       13. The food chopper of  claim 1 , wherein proximate the distal edges thereof, at least one of the first side cutting blade, the second side cutting blade and the central cutting blade has an oscillating shape or a zig-zag shape. 
     
     
       14. The food chopper of  claim 1 , wherein proximate the distal edges thereof, at least a portion of the first side cutting blade and the second side cutting blade is serrated. 
     
     
       15. The food chopper of  claim 1 , wherein the central cutting blade comprises a plurality of cutting blades mounted in a spaced-apart relationship, wherein the first side cutting blade comprises a plurality of cutting blades mounted in a spaced-apart relationship and wherein the second side cutting blade comprises a plurality of cutting blades mounted in a spaced-apart relationship. 
     
     
       16. The food chopper of  claim 1 , and further comprising a shaft that substantially encloses the biasing mechanism, wherein the shaft is intermediate the handle and the first and second side cutting blades. 
     
     
       17. A food chopper comprising:
 a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end; 
 a handle attached to the proximal end of the shaft; 
 a first side cutting blade mounted in a stationary position with respect to the distal end of the shaft, wherein a distal edge of the first side cutting blade has a first end and a second end that is opposite the first end; 
 a second side cutting blade mounted in a stationary position with respect to the distal end of the shaft in a spaced-apart relationship with respect to the first side cutting blade, wherein a distal edge of the second side cutting blade has a first end and a second end that is opposite the first end; 
 a central cutting blade linearly slidably mounted to the distal end of the shaft for movement between a retracted configuration and an extended configuration, wherein a distal edge of the central cutting blade has a first end and a second end that is opposite the first end, wherein the distal edge of the first side cutting blade is curved so that:
 a distance between the first end of the first side cutting blade and the first end of the central cutting blade is smaller than a distance between the first side cutting blade and the central cutting blade intermediate the first and second ends thereof; and 
 a distance between the second end of the first side cutting blade and the second end of the central cutting blade is smaller than a distance between the first side cutting blade and the central cutting blade intermediate the first and second ends thereof; and 
 
 a biasing mechanism, wherein the shaft substantially encloses the biasing mechanism and wherein the biasing mechanism biases the central cutting blade to the extended configuration. 
 
     
     
       18. The food chopper of  claim 17 , wherein the shaft has at least one aperture formed therein. 
     
     
       19. The food chopper of  claim 18 , and further comprising a cover that substantially covers the at least one aperture. 
     
     
       20. The food chopper of  claim 17 , wherein the distal edge of the second side cutting blade is curved so that:
 a distance between the first end of the second side cutting blade and the first end of the central cutting blade is smaller than a distance between the second side cutting blade and the central cutting blade intermediate the first and second ends thereof; and 
 a distance between the second end of the second side cutting blade and the second end of the central cutting blade is smaller than a distance between the second side cutting blade and the central cutting blade intermediate the first and second ends thereof.